


alternate chapter

by Firestorm0108



Series: Deal with crowley [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 13:21:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20340781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firestorm0108/pseuds/Firestorm0108





	alternate chapter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Icequeen208](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icequeen208/gifts).

“uhh….ok then” Dick said looking between the pair as Jason straightened his jacket and removed his helmet, they all knew each other identities inside the family, made getting in contact easier. “So Bruce how are you” Dick said gesturing at him “you know… alive” Bruce looked at Jason who looked back at with his expression clearly saying ‘don't’ Bruce faced them all together again smiling “i'm not sure” he said as he looked at his hands closing and opening his fingers as if testing how everything worked. “How do you feel?” Tim asked looking at him as if already trying to solve this puzzle. Bruce just smiled again “i feel great” he said as he removed his armor showing his torso completely free of any scar tissue, “woah” Bruce said looking down at himself before glancing at everyone else “i guess i'm good as new” he said grabbing a shirt Dick was holding out for him. As everyone celebrated Bruce's resurrection Bruce walked over to Alfred and hugged him till Bruce pulled away and Alfred smiled at him “it's good to have you back master Wayne” he said patting Bruce on the arm then stating he’ll be back with some tea as he exits the batcave going up the stairs to the manor. Bruce walked up to Jason leading him to the corner when the wouldn't be overheard. “So what did you do?” Bruce asked Jason as he shrugged “made a deal” Jason replied “what kind of deal?” Bruce asked as Jason shrugged “it doesn't matter just promise me one thing.” Jason said as Bruce nodded “i guess i owe you that” he said as they both smiled “just don't die again ok? The deal was a one time thing i can't bring you back again” Bruce just looked at his son “i promise to do my best Jason” as Jason nodded starting to walk and join the others before Bruce grabbed his arm “Jason” Bruce said getting his attention “thank you” he said as Jason smiled and nodded rejoining the others with Bruce behind him. 

The gathering went of through the night ,the family is rarely ever in the same room at the same time and they had a lot to catch up on as Jason sat in a seat next to Kate, Batwoman, “so…” she said awkwardly “this is awkward” she said rubbing the back of her neck “why is that” Jason asked “oh is it because you kidnapped my friend then sold me to Amanda Waller” he asked innocently as she nodded “yeah sorry about that” she mumbled as Jason shook his head “no your not” he said smiling as she smiled back “your right i'm really not” as they laughed before Jason added “but next time you try and kidnap or hurt my friends i won't pull my punches” he said as she looked at him “pull your punches?” she asked as he scoffed “i was trained by batman, the league and the all-caste trust me i was pulling my punches” he replied as she nodded thoughtfully “i'll keep that in mind” she said as she got up and walked away making space for Barbara to join his as he finished his beer, Duke had left for a couple minutes returning with beer and perfecting Jason's night, “so how are you doing?” Barbara asked as Jason opens another beer and offers it to her which she takes smiling as he opens another for himself “yeah i'm fine” he said looking at her “how about you?” he asked as Barbara just looks at him “we need to talk” she said “but not here” she finished telling him to meet her tomorrow night at her place, Jason knew what she was going to ask and knew it would be easier to just tell her rather than wait for her to get others involved trying to figure it out. Jason pulled out his phone and hovered over Artemis’ name “you realise she's going to kill you right” Barbara said as Jason nodded “yeah but then at least i won't need to worry about our chat tomorrow” he said as she laughed “no your still going to have to do that dead or not” she muttered as he laughed “of course i will how silly of me” he said standing up saying “wish me luck” as he raised his phone to his ear and walked to the corner yet again “by the gods Jason where have you been” Artemis asked as soon as the call connects “is that worry in your voice?” he mocked as he heard her voice again much more angry “WHERE...WERE...YOU?” and Jason knew it was a good thing they were doing this over the phone so she couldn't throw anything at him “i had to go do something, now however i'm in the batcave and Batman's alive” he said as he heard Artemis thank the gods before stopping quickly “Jason what did you do?” she asked as Jason cursed under his breath hoping she wouldn't ask “i just asked an old friend for a favour” he said as he told Artemis that he needs a couple days to deal with all this to which she agrees under the condition he keep in contact and with that Jason hung up and went upstairs to the mansion where he went to a spare room and fell asleep not realising how tired he was until his head hit the pillow. He woke up around 3pm ish which meant he'd been out cold for 10 hours or so which is much more sleep than he’d expected. He got up and stretched before grabbing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a shirt from the draw and went downstairs. As he entered the kitchen Dick, Tim and Damian were sitting around the table as Bruce was at the kitchen making some fresh coffee. “Hey look all the robins in one room” Jason said strolling in as Damian looked at him “i hadn't realised father allowed you to stay with your history” he started before Jason looked at him “your really the one to be talking about history?” Jason muttered as Bruce sighed “let's not start boy’s” he said as Jason nodded. “I'm leaving soon anyway” Jason said as Bruce looked at him “Jason...you don't have to” as Jason just smiles at him “nah Bruce it's ok… i’m needed elsewhere” Jason said as he walks to the cupboard and get out a cup as Bruce filled it with coffee “more people to kill?” Damian asked as Jason turned to him “depends on whether or not they deserve it” Jason replied as he downed his coffee in one shot placed the cup down and walked out. 

Jason placed all his gear in a spare bag and walked out of the house as he started running, he didn't need to he could of borrowed one of Bruce’s many many cars and Bruce wouldn't of cared. But he chose to run because it was relaxing for him, he'd never admit it but the expensive cars Bruce let his drive always felt alien to him considering his childhood was just him and whatever he could steal at the time. But he always ran, ran to something ran from something, it was his form of meditation it was a good stretch of distance between Wayne manor and gotham but Jason was physically fit enough to keep running the distance. It took him roughly about an hour till he reached the city which is when he pushed himself reaching his apartment in another 20 minutes. As he walked in he dropped the bag by his washing machine and laid on his bed catching his breath he checked the clock hanging above his bed. It was about 5pm and Jason laid there for a while letting the time tick by till he got up and jumped in the shower letting the hot water rush over him as he tried to relax, but something was bothering him, his deal with Crowley he didn't regret doing it everyone needed Batman more than anyone has ever needed the red hood. He got dressed in some new gear and left off aiming for Barbara's house. It was 7pm but it was still early by their standards but Jason wanted to get the conversation over with he got to her apartment and unlocked her window sneaking in, it was a Batfamily thing, Barbara was in the shower so Jason took of his helmet and made tea, one for him and Barbara. Just as he finished the tea she walked out , wearing a towel around herself with another drying her hair, and yelped looking at him as he took a sip “what?” He asked “you said to meet here tonight?” he said as she looked at him in disbelief “for someone as smart as you, you really are boneheaded at times” she said as Jason scoffed “who said i was smart” he replied as Barbara looked dead at him “you may fool everyone else with this idiot routine but i was there when you were taught by Bruce i know how smart you are” she stated as Jason nodded “ah...that” as Barbara mocked him “yeah...that”. “Well i made you some tea” Jason said looking at her as she rolled her eyes and sat of the sofa pulling her knees up to her chest and tucking the towel beneath her “oh so i'm your waiter now?” he asks as she replied with “what do you mean now?” as he nodded at the accuracy of the statement and picked up her cup and walked over to the sofa handing it to her “See?” she said winking as he found himself smiling, she always had that effect on him even in his robin days. “So?” she asked expectantly as Jason looked at her “how did you do it? How did you bring Bruce back.” he looked in her eyes and put his head in his hands before smiling to himself “did i ever tell you about the first time I met your father?” he asked, the question took her by surprise as she shook her head “it was christmas the year before I met Bruce, i was nothing special, I was just some smart mouthed street kid.” he sighed as he leaned back into the sofa “i was sitting on a curb near crime alley, i'd just been beaten half to death by a bunch of gang members, i didn't give them a reason too but they didn't really need one they just liked beating people” he sighed as he rubbed his neck “the snow felt nice on my skin, I was crying. Then all of a sudden this police detective sat next to me, on the curb, and lit his cigarette and handed me a bag from a burger joint which wasn't to far from there” he smiled to himself as Barbara seemed entranced by the story “he looked at me and he said ‘today was bad kid, but there's always tomorrow’ then he looked at me and smirked ‘i've seen you around a couple times kid you helped an old lady who was being mugged’ it was the first crime i ever stopped” he added with a proud grin as she kicked him and chuckled “a natural born hero” she replied as he scoffed “your dad thought the same thing ‘for good people in gotham, theres always tomorrow, you just keep being a good kid and when tomorrow comes you take it by the horns’” Jason said in an almost perfect replication of Jim Gordon's voice “that was part of the reason i went with Bruce, I guessed that was my tomorrow” he sighed. “Why are we going down memory lane?” she asked as he chuckled to himself. “you have to promise me first. Promise me you won't tell anyone, not ever till i tell them first ok?” she looks at him nervously then agrees and he starts explaining “well… do you remember the two brothers Bruce said were crazy and sadistic and needed to be stopped a couple years back?” he asked as she nodded and tapped her head “Winchesters, right?” she said as Jason nodded “turns out there actually good guys who deal with supernatural stuff, like a less annoying Constantine” he said making her laugh “and they taught me a thing or two about the supernatural including things called crossroad demons” he said as she looked deep into his eyes as if already seeing where this is going “and also i met the king of hell his names Crowley, short british dude” he said making her smile as he took a deep breath “and i made a deal with him to bring Bruce back” he said faking a smile as she looked at him as if it was all falling in place “what did it cost?” she asked as Jason was silent she put her legs down on the floor and put a hand on his shoulder, “what did it cost to bring Bruce back” as Jason looked at her, she was cute when she was worried and Jason had always had a crush on her, “nothing much” he said with a hollow laugh, “just my soul”. She looked at him with fear in her eyes “soul” she whispered as Jason nodded “i couldn't let him die Barbara” he said as Barbara looked at him “what does it actually mean” she asked him as he looked down “ummm…” Jason said with a shaky voice “pretty much i have a year left to live, well 364 days but who's counting, then my soul goes to hell forever” he said as tears from in her eyes “how could you be so stupid” she asked he just rubbed a tear from her cheek and smiled “the world's need Batman way more than it could ever need Red hood” he said as she grabbed his hand on her cheek “and what about Jason Todd” she said to which he laughed “well if you asked Damian i'm sure he’d of said it was just an added bonus” to which Barbara didn't find funny “i'm serious Jason” she said as his smile faded “as much as they’ll deny it everyone needs Bruce he’s the father figure to most of us me, Dick,Tim hell even Damian need Bruce to help us and i've died before Barbara it won't hurt as bad” to which Barbara slapped him in the face “is that what this is about!” she yelled “another way to remind everyone you died” she was barely holding herself together as Jason rubbed his cheek “Barbie” he said as she was almost shaking in anger “you, Jason Todd are the most selfish human being I have ever met in my entire life,” she yelled as he just sat there staring at her “Do you know what your death did to the family the first time?” she asked as he scoffed “come on Barbie, half the family hates me and i'm not exactly the robin i was the first time” he retaliated as she tried to hit him again and he caught it “your always willing to throw your life away, do you even think about those who care about you, I'm your family Jason, did you even think about me?” she asked as he just pulled her into a hug “I did this because of my family, because of you, you all need Bruce and I need to be the man you always saw i could be Barbie” he whispered to her “i needed to make you proud” as she pulled away “your still just a stupid kid Jason” she muttered as he shrugged “i've always been proud of you, your my brother and i love you, you've saved thousands of people and become one of the best people I know” she said her voice was still angry as he just smiled “remember your promise” he muttered as he kissed her forehead and stood up as he walked to the window and chuckled as he looked at her “i've still got a year” he smiled “lets make it a great one” he ended as he launched himself out of the window leaving her alone in her apartment as all she could see was the 12 year old boy who’d flirt with her and make her laugh becoming the man, the hero, she always bet he would become.


End file.
